'I visited jet-lag free destination more beautiful than I could've imagined'
Weaving through mangroves along a path leading to the Atlantic Ocean, I tiptoe carefully through the sand.
After dark, there is little light pollution on Sierra Leone's remote, southerly Turtle Islands, allowing stars to dazzle clearly overhead. Using the moon as my torchlight, I shuffle along the coastline, scanning for any movements along the shore.
Between November and April, five species of sea turtle come to nest here as they have done for hundreds of years. Travelling thousands of miles, their journey is far from easy but the difficulties don't end once they arrive.
'Sea turtles have been nesting for thousands of years,' explains marine conservationist Eddie Aruna, my local Sierra Leonean guide. But coastal erosion and sea level rises are having an impact on their nesting sites. 'Turtles always return to their native beaches, but if these no longer exist they will discharge their eggs into the sea,' he tells me.
Other issues include poaching for meat and eggs. Since 2012, Eddie has been working hard to protect the five species of turtles that nest here, focusing on community engagements and recruiting local monitors through his NGO Reptile and Amphibian Program Sierra Leone (RAP-SL).
His work has earned him a Tusk Conservation in Africa Award, presented by the charity's royal patron Prince William at a glittering ceremony in London last November.
Along with a trophy, Eddie has been awarded a grant of £75,000 to continue his work and reach more communities along Sierra Leone's coastline. He already has several other project sites, including neighbouring Sherbro Island where Hollywood actor Idris Elba – whose father hailed from Sierra Leone – is developing an eco-resort. Stretching for 250 miles along the Atlantic Ocean, the West African country's coastline has huge potential as a jetlag-free destination – especially with the new Air Sierra Leone direct 7hr flights from Gatwick to the capital Freetown due to start on June 16. Here are some of the best beaches to visit...
Easily reached from capital city Freetown, the jewel in Sierra Leone's beach crown earned its reputation by gaining the ultimate seal of paradisiacal approval – being used as a backdrop for a Bounty advert.
Mountains and thick tropical vegetation cradle soft white sand beaches lapped by gentle waves, making this an easy place to relax and swim. Essentially, this is a lagoon where the river meets the ocean, allowing for some laidback kayak paddles and fishing trips.
A collection of comfortable bungalows and suites within yards of the waterfront, this is the closest you'll find to a smart beachside resort along this coastline (for now). Step straight onto a wide-open bay, especially beautiful at sunrise and sunset when fishermen sail past in brightly painted wooden pirogue boats.
Watch them carry their hauls onto the beach, where women sift through the best catch to sell at local markets. This is one of the best places to sit and watch local life unfold, with stretches of sand large enough to provide a stage for volleyball and football games. Get here via an easy 40-minute road transfer from Freetown.
This wild, laidback archipelago with castaway Robinson Crusoe appeal lies off the coast of Freetown but feels much further away. Getting there is an adventure, requiring a 40-minute ride in a wooden pirogue from Kent, an hour outside Freetown. Once ashore, the place slows down at Bafa Resort, a stylish glamping hideaway in the forest. Along with snorkelling, diving and hiking trails in the forest, you can learn about the country's complex cultural heritage.
Ruins of churches and colonial-era buildings are remnants of the slave trade which cast a shadow over the islands until they later became a settlement for liberated Africans.
Fringing Sierra Leone's busy port-side capital, these urban sands are the country's answer to South Beach or Copacabana. Come here to drink at late night bars, dance to Afrobeat in clubs or go for after-dinner walks along the surf.
Loved by local residents, it's rarely empty – but this is a place for socialising rather than solitude. Some of the best upscale bars, restaurants and hotels cluster around the Aberdeen area, although the beach extends for three miles south.
Find basketball courts, a running promenade and even a golf course.
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